This small sculptural group tells the story of Chōryō (Ch. Zhang Liang), a Han Chinese nobleman, and his encounter with the sage Kōsekikō (Ch: Huangshi Gong). After losing his land and power, Chōryō attempted to overthrow the new Qin ruler, then fled the country as a fugitive. Meeting Kōsekikō on the road, he was immediately put to a test: the old man removed his shoe, dropped it into the river, and ordered Chōryō to retrieve it. Chōryō did as commanded, impressing Kōsekikō with his courteous obedience. What followed was a series of directives testing Chōryō’s capacity for patience, tolerance, and restraint. Satisfied, the old man rewarded Chōryō with a scroll inscribed with Chinese military principles that would help the nobleman regain power and bring prosperity to the country. These texts eventually reached Japan, where they were studied and revered as valuable aids to military strategy and governance. The story of Chōryō and Kōsekikō encapsulates this important transmission and was thus rendered in various art forms. Here, Chōryō, perched on a dragon that symbolizes his nobility, holds Kōsekikō’s shoe, while the old man, on horseback, offers the scroll to his protégé.
Produced in the late nineteenth century, this narrative group exemplifies the type of carvings produced in Japan when the market for netsuke transitioned from a domestic to foreign audience. With the reopening of Japan’s ports to foreign trade at midcentury, countless modern influences arrived from Europe and the United States, including Western clothing with pockets and other means by which foreigners carried small personal items. The netsuke, ojime, and other utilitarian objects that had secured these items to the pocketless kimono were set aside in favor of Western ways. But as domestic use of netsuke declined, demand from the West grew. Visitors to Japan deemed netsuke the ideal keepsake, and collectors marveled at their exquisite craftsmanship. Acknowledging this market shift, carvers began to prioritize the tastes of foreign clientele, ultimately transforming the netsuke from a functional to purely decorative object meant for display.
The new role of netsuke as standing sculptures required a stable base. One means by which carvers achieved this was through the creation of group compositions such as this one. Placed closely together, multiple figures, animals, or objects formed an ideal flat and wide foundation.
2024